Archive for May, 2005

Karl Fleming covered most of the major events during the Civil Rights Era for Newsweek Magazine. But he became a part of the story when he was nearly beaten to death during the Watts Riots in 1966. Host Frank Stasio talks with Fleming about the Civil Rights Era, as well as his own difficult childhood growing up in a Methodist orphanage in Raleigh. Fleming’s new memoir is titled “Son of the Rough South,” (Public Affairs Books/2005). Listener Call-In. (59:00)

“The Provincials”: Durham native Eli Evans published his seminal chronicle of Southern Jews in 1973. The book was an instant classic, combining memoir with journalistic research and reporting to create a historical document. To coincide with the 350th anniversary of Jews in America, UNC Press has reissued Evans’s book with a new introduction and many pages of photographs. Host Frank Stasio talks with Evans about the colorful history of Jews in the American South, including his own family’s story (Evans’s father was a mayor of Durham in the late 1950’s early 1960’s.) Listener Call-In. (59:00)

Nanotechnology: North Carolina is among the country’s hot spots for the fast growing field of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology involves particles that are one one-billionth of a meter. These tiny particles already exist in nature and in culture — in sunscreen and fabric, but scientists are working to apply the technology to cancer research as well as other health and lifestyle improvements. Some concerned scientists and citizens worry that nanotechnology may be hazardous to the environment and to our health. Host Melinda Penkava speaks with Kristin Kulinowski, the Co-Executive Director of the Center for Nano-scale Science and Technology at Rice university in Houston Texas; Joseph DeSimone, a professor of Chemistry at UNC Chapel Hill, Kathy Jo Wetter, a researcher with the Etcetera Group in Carrboro ;and Michael Cobb of NC State University’s Political Science Department. Listener Call-In. (54:00)

Notes From the Road: Asheville musician Christine Kane continues her series with a new essay from the road. Today she considers the importance of a notebook to a songwriter’s effort to constantly appease the muse. (4:00)

Legislative Update: Host Melinda Penkava talks with reporters about the latest from the state legislature. On the table: A NASCAR Hall of Fame, proposed smoking bans, and the upcoming crossover deadline on June 2nd. Guests include: Laura Leslie, WUNC capitol reporter; and Kerra Bolton, reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times. (25:00) (CP)

Stoneleaf: This weekend, Stoneleaf, a new North Carolina theater festival, premieres in Asheville. Melinda Penkava talks with Willie Repoley and Rain Newcomb, co-founders of the Asheville-based Redundant Theater Company Theater. Their play, “inn/between” will be staged as part of the festival in the city’s Haywood Park Hotel. (7:00) (CP)

Jim Fergus: Melinda Penkava talks with Jim Fergus, author of ‘The Wild Girl’ (Hyperion/2005). As in his first novel, ‘One Thousand White Women,’ Fergus begins his new story where history left off. The book follows a young photojournalist on an Apache expedition in 1932. (17:00) (CP)

Convention Centers: Several cities in North Carolina are in the process of planning or building multi-million dollar convention centers. The hope is that these convention centers will draw thousands of visitors to downtowns in need of an economic boost. Melinda Penkava hosts a conversation on the viability of convention centers with Charles Meeker, mayor of Raleigh; Josh Shaffer, reporter with the Raleigh News and Observer; Heywood Sanders, professor of public administration at the University of Texas – San Antonio; and Roger Krupa, director of the Raleigh Convention Center. (59:00)